US PC makers in 'stolen code' row

A California company is considering legal action to prevent computers being shipped to China with what it says is stolen Internet blocking software, says the BBC.

Solid Oak said it found pieces of its CyberSitter programme in China's Green Dam Youth Escort screening software.

China has mandated that all new PCs must contain filters to protect children from offensive material on the Internet.

The government has released its Digital Britain report in a wide-ranging document that covers the future of the UK broadband sector, through to broadcasting, regional news, intellectual property, downloading and digital inclusion - even giving new authority to Whitehall CIO John Suffolk, says Computing.co.uk.

One highlight of the report is a reaffirmation of the universal service commitment for broadband to deliver at least 2Mbps connectivity to every home by 2012, supported by £200 million of public funding.

Another highlight is the 50p per month levy on all copper fixed lines to help subsidise the roll-out of next-generation superfast broadband to the one-third of the country likely to be outside the scope of existing commercial roll-out plans.

MySpace is cutting nearly 30% of its staff in a back-to-basics effort that puts its numbers more in line with social networking leader Facebook, reports The Register.

The News Corp-owned social site said layoffs will affect its entire US operations, lowering the total number of staffers to about 1 000 in the country.

MySpace claims the cuts are part of its master plan to become a "more innovative, efficient and entrepreneurial business". The company's News Corp overlords recently tossed out its co-founder and chief executive Chris DeWolfe in favour of former Facebook executive Owen Van Natta to helm the transformation.

Trade organisations representing an array of technology companies have criticised a Chinese mandate to require computer makers to install Web-filtering software on PCs sold in the country, reports The Wall Street Journal.

The plan "raises significant questions of security, privacy, system reliability, the free flow of information and user choice", according to a letter sent by 19 organisations to Li Yizhong, China's minister of industry and IT. "We urge the Chinese government to reconsider implementing the requirements," the letter said. The ministry did not respond to a request for comment.

The ministry sent a notice to computer makers in May requiring that PCs sold in China as of 1 July come with filtering software made by Jinhui Computer System Engineering. Free-speech advocates and researchers worry it could also be used to prevent people in China from viewing political Web sites.